Europe’s most luxurious hotels are jaw-dropping, but the experience is even more unbelievable when you check into one of Europe’s finest grand hotels.
The grand hotel symbolized the opulence and grandeur of 1800s hospitality. Their rooms contained a who’s who of guests — and now they’ve got a bed ready for you to snuggle into.
From the oldest hotels in Europe to the grand hotels that’ve gotten a sleek facelift over the years, these are some of the best historic hotels in Europe.
Image Credit: Dalhousie Castle Hotel. Image Location: Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Scotland.
Europe’s finest grand hotels, explained
What makes a hotel a grand hotel?
In many cases, a grand hotel is an opulent abode, usually of historical or architectural importance. These luxurious spaces are either in landmark buildings, offer top-notch services, or are iconic for their notable overnight guests like celebrities, royals, and politicians.
What’s the oldest operating hotel in Europe?
Zum Roten Bären may very well be the oldest hotel in Europe with evidence of it being used as a guesthouse dating back to the 1100s. It was built in the late-1000s, and the official record shows a list of innkeepers dating back to the 1200s. Zum Roten Bären is located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, a short stroll from Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf train station.
Image Credit: San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel. Image Location: San Domenico Palace, Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
What’s the oldest hotel in London?
There’s a little debate on which is the oldest hotel in London. Brown’s Hotel was formally opened in 1837 and has a history that includes having Queen Victoria over for tea, Alexander Graham Bell making his first London telephone call, and Rudyard Kipling writing The Jungle Book. However, while Claridge’s was officially opened in 1856, it was a smaller hotel called Mivart’s at 51 Brook Street since 1812.
Image Credit: Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais. Image Location: Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais, Paris, France.
The most iconic and historic hotels in Europe
Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais | Paris, France
Nearest train station: Gare de Lyon
With an 18th-century splendor that you hardly have to share, Hôtel Caron de Beaumarchais is one of the historic hotels in Paris near Notre-Dame Cathedral. There are only 19 rooms in this former Age of Enlightenment residence and common spaces are furnished with original antiques like a 1792 fortepiano and a Louis XV harp.
Grandhotel Brno | Brno, Czech Republic
Nearest train station: Brno Main
With “grand hotel” right in the name, Grandhotel Brno delivers the 1870s luxury that its name conjures up. Thomas Edison stayed here once, not long after some of the first cinematographic performances in the world were shown in the hotel’s Moorish Hall.
Image Credit: Hotel Château Gütsch. Image Location: Hotel Château Gütsch, Lucerne, Switzerland.
Hotel Château Gütsch | Lucerne, Switzerland
Nearest train station: Luzern Main
There are quite a number of historic hotels in Switzerland, though not all of them look like a castle. A tower rested on this site in 1590 and the land was purchased in the 1800s to host an inn. If Hotel Château Gütsch looks awfully familiar, you’re not wrong: after a fire destroyed much of the hotel, it was rebuilt to resemble the Neuschwanstein Castle, the famous Disney castle in Germany.
Image Credit: San Domenico Palace, a Four Seasons Hotel. Image Location: San Domenico Palace, Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
San Domenico Palace, Taormina | Sicily, Italy
Nearest train station: Taormina-Giardini
San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, is quickly becoming one of the most iconic hotels in Europe thanks to its appearance in The White Lotus. A 14th-century convent reimagined for the eyes of the lavish, the hotel includes everything from a clifftop infinity pool to Michelin-starred dining.
Schlosshotel Kronberg | Kronberg im Taunus, Germany
Nearest train station: Kronberg (Taunus)
Of the many castles near Frankfurt, Schlosshotel Kronberg is one of the few that you can call yours for the night. Though it’s only been a hotel since 1954, it was designed for Empress Victoria Friedrich in 1893. You may not live like a 19th-century empress, but you can stay like a 21st-century boss when you take advantage of the 18-hole golf course, relaxing beauty cottage, and on-site Porsche rental.
Image Credit: Dalhousie Castle Hotel. Image Location: Dalhousie Castle Hotel, Bonnyrigg, Scotland.
Dalhousie Castle Hotel | Bonnyrigg, Scotland
Nearest train station: Newtongrange
Once you stay in a historic Scottish castle, even the lavish 5-star joints back home just won’t pack the same punch. Dalhousie Castle Hotel has been sitting just outside of Edinburgh for the last 800 years. There’s a dungeon and moat still present…need we say more, or should we just book the Castle Suite for you?
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Header Image Credit: Hotel Château Gütsch. Image Location: Hotel Château Gütsch, Lucerne, Switzerland.